


A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

by bgoodg



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Female Character In Command, Female Protagonist, Femslash, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-11
Updated: 2011-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-21 06:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgoodg/pseuds/bgoodg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Full cast genderswap inspired by a kinkmeme prompt. Charlene and Esther team up to fight the sentinels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction and not written for profit. The characters mentioned belong to their respective creators and owners. No defamation is implied.

She doesn't know how to stop them: how to reason when there's so much hate and violence crowding their thoughts.

"There is no need for this." Charlene sits in her wheelchair, rolled to the edge of the stone steps that slope down to the lawn. Her skirt is draped over her knees and her hair is loose. Hannah stands to her right, blue fur covered by her jogging uniform. She pants, out of breath from running through the woods and fleeing her attackers while mentally shouting for the professor. The knees of the grey sweatpants are stained with mud and grass but she stands defiant and strong by Charlene's side.

The other students are still in the house; the younger mutants huddle in the safe room while the older students wait for Charlene's command.

She desperately hopes the attack signal is not needed.

"Your kind have shown a distinct lack of values, a dismissal of the law and are a plight on our land." Mrs. Creed stands in heels; her army of soldiers, all hastily trained but full of hate surround her. They wear black uniforms with FOH stitched over their hearts. "We must think of our own children and protect them any way possible. Your school is one for criminals and miscreants. You are training the next generation to hate their human counterparts."

You're doing a fine job of that yourself, Charlene thinks. She reaches out and feels Alexandra and Shauna. They stand in the kitchen, watching from the patio windows. Alexandra thinks of her newly found little sister. She gave Scarlett a hug as and promised everything would be okay before changing into her uniform. Remi's the only one Charlene can't get a read on. The school's newest mutant, Charlene hopes that the training she's received so far, along with whatever life she lead before, will keep the Cajun safe.

 _We need to do something._ Hannah tells the professor.

 _I will not be the first one to incite violence._

There's gunshots the next second, a weapon fired by a trigger happy youngster that has everyone else following. Hannah roars and grabs the professor, pulling her out of the wheelchair and dragging the both of them behind a Greek pillar. The thoughts are overwhelming. The anger of the vigilantes, the worry of the children and the fear of her students: it's all too much for Charlene for a brief second. But then the control returns and she realizes that above all, she must protect her home.

 _Shauna, send a blast now._

The Irish mutant doesn't respond but seconds later there's a sonic scream that has the soldiers dropping their weapons to hold their ears. There's a moment of silence, no gunfire or wailing.

The reprieve is broken by Mrs. Creed, "Storm the school."

Mrs. Creed's soldiers yell and charge like an invading army.

"What should I do?" Hannah asks.

"Go help the others," Charlene replies. "I'll be fine." Right now she doesn't have the time to dwell on her loss of movement. The children need to be coordinated and Charlene must focus on Mrs. Creed and talking down the leader of the Friends of Humanity.

There's a growl and Hannah is off. They were suppose to have a student BBQ that day and the decorations scatter as Hannah slides across the patio furniture. Hannah joins the others, sliding in between Alexandra and Shauna. The three girls, Charlene's first class, work as a team to disarm the militant group without seriously harming them. Remi throws charged playing cards, trying to create a line of defense around the house.

Charlene focuses on contacting Mrs. Creed but the anger she encounters is a brick wall.

She pulls back to survey the battlefield. Although only four strong, the students are pushing the soldiers back and disarming them. Charlene tries to focus on Mrs. Creed again; the Friends of Humanity leader might not be convinced that she's wrong but she might realize that she's going to lose this battle.

But as Charlene enters her mind there's not sense of defeat, only joy crowding her thoughts. The professor recoils from the mind. There's something sinister lurking, some ace up her sleeve that Charlene is just now beginning to account for.

 _Fall back to the house._ Charlene orders. The kids look around confused. They're winning but they start gradually working back, covering each other's blind spots as they move closer to the house.

Mrs. Creed notices the movement. A smile falls over her lips and Charlene feels the chill across the yard. "Release the Sentinels."

 _Hurry!_ Charlene urges but her command is drowned out by the crank of gears and pounding of feet. The whole earth shakes and the leaves on the trees quiver.

Remi has already reached the professor. She turns around, just in time to see a robot two stories tall clear the tree line and head straight for the mansion. "Merde." She swings her bo staff, tucking it under her arm and filling her hands with charged cards.

Charlene feels the confusion and fear within all her students. Shauna soars into the sky, trying to get a better view.

The robot locks onto her. Its body is purple and blue and walks with a jerky movement. In its synthesized voice, the robot announces "Mutant confirmed."

 _Shauna down!_

But the warning comes just as the robot raises its hand and fires.

"Shauna!" Hannah and Alexandra run to where Shauna lays crumpled on the ground. Charlene reaches out instinctively. Two hands to her temple, she finds Shauna breathing but unconscious. Hannah's the closest and almost reaches the fallen mutant when the Sentinel locks on her and fires. It's only through Hannah's innate dexterity that she's able to maneuver out of the way; the grass stands scorched from where she stood just moments ago.

"Gotta attack," Remi says under her breath. "Professor?"

"Yes Remi?" She tries to contact the Sentinel but there's nothing, just gears and wires and metal. Charlene feels an ache that has nothing to do with the battle.

"Thank ya, for everythin' ya did. Ain't nobody treated Remi so nice before." She tips her head like tipping a hat. The Cajun smiles at Charlene before turning to the Sentinel and throwing a handful of charged cards. She works with Alexandra, getting the two of them to attack the Sentinel from opposite sides while a wobbly Hannah tries to reach Shauna.

I will not lose any of you, Charlene thinks. Too many have already left. She starts scanning the soldier's mind, searching for one who knows anything about the operation of the robot. Her mind flits from person to person, almost missing when the Sentinel's hand prepares to fire again. The robot is much closer than Charlene thought. It's also much taller and Charlene has to crane her neck upwards to see its face.

"Professor!"

She doesn't think about screaming.

There's not even a heartbeat in between being in front of the Sentinel and across the lawn. She coughs and it tastes like brimstone. Besides Charlene sits a red skinned mutant.

The Sentinel fires across the lawn, not noticing that its target has moved.

"Azazel, get the injured inside," Raven's in his natural blue form, red hair slicked back and eyes glowing yellow.

Azazel nods once before appearing besides Shauna and Hannah.

"Charlene," Raven whispers.

Charlene doesn't hesitate in hugging her little brother. He's filled out, muscles more defined and his face hardened. Raven still hugs Charlene like she's made of glass.

"What are you doing here?" Charlene asks.

"Esther heard they were planning on attacking the school. We came here as fast as we could."

 _They made a metal robot to defeat a mutant who controls metal._ The voice is a shock in Charlene's head. She's heard it occasionally since the day at the beach: their communication usually quick, making sure that the other is safe or asking about the kids but today, it's like they were never separated.

Esther strides up besides them, kneeling in her suit and cape to place a hand on Charlene's shoulder. The helmet is nowhere to be seen. "Are you all right?" There's more mutants with her. Charlene notices Emmett in an all white suit and Angel, shirt off and wings spread. Jana's dark hair whips back and forth from the wind that she controls.

"We have to stop them. I have to reach into their minds and get them to forget where the school is." It's an erasure of memories that Charlene doesn't feel comfortable with but it's their home: they must protect it.

"I will take care of the robot. It'll be fun."

"They call it a Sentinel," Charlene states. _Please don't kill the humans Esther._

There's the usual brush of annoyance from Esther, familiar in its own way.

Standing, Esther orders, "Angel, cover Azazel as she takes care of the injured. Riptide, Raven help Charlene's students press back the soldiers. Injure them but don't kill them. Emmett?"

The telepath looks over to Esther. "Yes?"

"You're to stay here and shield Professor Xavier as she enters the soldiers minds. You will protect her from any threat or I will personally test how strong diamonds are."

Emmett's skin turns from human tissue to diamond with a small nod towards the both of them.

"I don't need to be protected," Charlene states because it needs to be said.

"Of course not," Esther states as her Fellowship of Mutants step into action. "If I thought you were in any real danger, I'd stay here myself." The cape is somehow not ridiculous as Esther strides across the lawn. She holds out one hand, yanking the Sentinel off of its feet as if it's a child's toy.

"Do you need any assistance?" Emmett questions in a perpetually bored tone.

"Just stop anyone from shooting me." Charlene clears her mind and tries to focus.

It's difficult at first, with the sounds of Esther tearing apart the Sentinel and the students combining to fend off the soldiers. The FOH turn their minds from anger and vengeance to fleeing and surviving. It's easier for Charlene to grasp their memories and erase the location of the mansion.

Mrs. Creed's mind is more difficult to pinpoint. Her focus is what Charlene finally tracks. Mrs. Creed's resolve is strong but there's cracks as she watches Esther destroy the robots with ease. They won't be making that mistake again. Charlene closes her eyes and focuses, hoping that Emmett will keep up his end of the bargain. She focuses on the word _leave_ and pushes it far into Mrs. Creed's mind.

Charlene's brought back to the world by the sound of gunshots. She flinches the second bullets hit the diamond form Emmett.

"Thank you," Charlene says.

"Wouldn't do to have Esther weeping," Emmett says, glancing down at Charlene. "It would be advisable for you not to hurt her again."

Charlene doesn't have the time to comment or even consider the question. On the lawn, Esther rips open the Sentinel. Sparks of electricity and wiring fly out of the Sentinel's belly. The robots innards are tossed; the body of the Sentinel follows and crashes onto the mansion's back lawn.

***

Shauna is asleep in the med lab. Hannah is next to her, not hurt badly enough to warrant an overnight stay but refusing to leave the other's side. Charlene reaches out and senses Alexandra bringing them both snacks from the fridge. The Fellowship have all been assigned places to sleep for the night. Raven is in his old room, wrapping Charlene in a hug when he realized nothing had been changed.

"It's good to be back," Raven had whispered.

"It's good to have you back brother."

There was more talking, more hashing out of their feelings and Raven telling her about her developing relationship with the teleporter.

"May I come in?" Esther has one foot inside Charlene's study, like she might not be welcomed.

 _You're always welcome here._ Charlene says.

Esther steps in. Behind her trails the purple and silver metal helmet that keep Charlene from reading her thoughts. Esther grasps the helmet and for one horrible moment Charlene thinks that her friend is going to put it on but the helmet is placed, softly and with Esther's own hands, on the still in-play chessboard. The moment stretches between them, the helmet and chessboard having enough meaning to make any first year English student salivating at subtext and metaphors.

Charlene doesn't know what to say. She doesn't know if she should ask if they're staying, how Esther found out about the attack, if Esther's night terrors have come back without Charlene sleeping next to her. Instead of any of those things, Charlene says, "I imagine it gives you terrible helmet hair."

Charlene doesn't realize how much she's missed the woman, until Esther laughs.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Esther sits herself in the antique chair, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Esther. Hannah checked me out. Just a few scrapes. What did you do with the Sentinel?"

"Hannah convinced me to move some of the wiring and framework into the lab. She wants to look over the components and see how they managed to lock onto only mutants."

"Do you have any idea how the Friends of Humanity got their hands on such technology?"

"A Mrs. Trask," Esther says. "The woman has been taken care of. She was also the one who alerted us that the FOH was planning to attack the school. I'm sorry we couldn't get here earlier." Esther's hand moves from her crossed knees to Charlene's.

"Why did you come back?" Are you staying?

Esther pulls back but Charlene leans forward and snatches the woman's hand in her own. They're both leaning over the chessboard and helmet with their fingers interlocked.

"This is where we built our home." Esther says. "I had to protect it."

"And now?"

Esther doesn't bother using her powers, wiping the helmet and chessboard clean with one hand before pulling Charlene closer and kissing her. Esther still tastes like honey and apples, never like metal although Charlene expects it every time.

 _You can't do this again,_ Charlene says. _Not if you're going to leave._ Please, please don't leave.

 _I can't promise anything._ Esther says because she's never been anything but honest. _But you are my home._

It's a starting place. Some sort of common ground that they can work on.

"We should move this," Esther whispers and Charlene feels a tug on her chair. "Wouldn't do to have one of the children walk in."

"You could always lock the door."

Esther smiles, sharp but beautiful and says, "Such a wise woman."

The locks clink as they find each other again.


End file.
